Apology of Defence

This post is a little late, but I was thinking back to our individual presentations on our person Apologies of Poetry. I was thinking about how a number of students forgot what we learned from Aristotle and literally apologized for being English majors. I think it would be impossible to apologize for being the person that you are; a lover of literature, because it can't be helped not to mention warrant any apologetic feelings.

But the phrase apology for poetry can be very deceiving, because neither of the two key words in the phrase mean what they traditionally mean to us American speakers of English. This reflects on the genius of words and language and what the "truth" behind words go. You're not apologizing for the seemingly pointlessness of poetry, but defending a life of literature and you're devotion to it. The genius of the confusing meaning and meanings that words hold is part of the defense. Language as well as writing can be either a maze or a field, it's up to the author as well as the reader which one.

I think the different reaction and interpretations of the assignment stemmed from the individual's perception of literature as well as their friends and families' perceptions. I found that there was a correlations between the literal apologies and the students confession that their parents or friends had a problem with them becoming a English or Literature...person. Where as, say my paper, was more of a defense and a tying together of my major and minor, and I know at least with me, my parents acceptance and encouragement of my scholarly choices, had something to do with my position.